Best of Chicago

Whoever said "Good enough" probably didn't get very far in life. In our annual pursuit of better living through extreme pickiness, we discovered the best reasons to celebrate our ever-expanding city.

At Home: In & Out

A real-estate developer rehabs a drab property in Wicker Park into an arty bohemian retreat-shaded woodland included.

By Christine Newman

What Makes Jim Run?

Jim Oberweis earned a fortune in business, but in politics he hasn't fared so well—failing in runs for governor, the Senate, and Congress while burning through $7 million of his own money and one...

By Ben Goldberger

Collision Course

In 2005, a young woman bent on self-destruction intentionally drove her car into the back of another. She lived. Three musicians on their lunch break died. This year, as her prison sentence comes...

By Noah Isackson

August 2008 Table of Contents

Contributors

Noah Isackson, Ben Goldberger, Scott Ackman and Christopher Schwarz, Joanna Topor MacKenzie, Taylor Castle, Libby Fischer Hellmann

By Graham Meyer

Feedback

In this month's letters: bygone lakefront, too skinny, and not-Wrigleyville

Babysitters' Club

You'd never skimp when it came to your precious bundle of joy, of course, but childcare is expensive, at virtually all levels of the economic spectrum.

By Kristy Holland

Rodeo Drive

Wicker Park’s hippest strip snags a new cantina with a Spanish accent

By Sarah Preston

Recipe File: Liquid Zen

Liquid Zen at Silver Cloud

By Sarah Preston

Checking Inn

"We're bringing back the true art of cocktail-making," says the Potter's John William­son.

Taste of Chicago

Dance for Life is summer's top one-stop shop for homegrown dance talent

By Lucia Mauro

Three Questions

Henry Godinez is the director, curator, and founder of the Latino Theatre Festival, a wildly eclectic showcase of artists hailing from Barcelona to Bucktown.

By Catey Sullivan

The Five

Don't-miss concerts at this year's Chicago Jazz Festival

By Mark Loehrke

Solo Show

New album creates buzz around Nico Muhly

By Nora O'Donnell

Found Art

Columbia College MFA student takes journey from Saigon to the west.

By Ann Wiens

Love's Labors Lost

Couple never live in the house they carefully restored

By Dennis Rodkin

Your Best Offer

Three real-estate agents provide us with their assessment of a new North Shore house

By Dennis Rodkin

Five in the Fore

A quintet of new three-flats leads community comeback

By Dennis Rodkin

Steeling Home

Chicago developer and Seattle architect prepare an encore

By Dennis Rodkin

Not Another Coffee Shop

At the Emerald, developers rethink ground-floor space

By Dennis Rodkin

The Dog Dilemma

The Obamas face an important decision—what breed to get.

By Andrew Schroedter

Decisions...

Will the Tribune’s endorsement break a century-old tradition?

By David Bernstein

Dubious Legacy

The source of the name Balbo Drive, the Italian aviator Italo Balbo, was a Fascist thug who backed Mussolini and was honored by the Nazis. Why do his memorials here persist?

By Scott Ackman and Christopher Schwarz

Dining Tidbits

Hub 51, Café Orchid, Steve's Deli, Mexique

Dining Out: Mad About Mado

Laid-back and green, a Mediterranean storefront opens in Bucktown; Topaz takes Burr Ridge on a Euro tour.

By Dennis Ray Wheaton

Dreamscape

Tony Priolo finally has his little dream: Piccolo Sogno, a casual 80-seat Italian restaurant in the coveted former Thyme space.

By Jeff Ruby

Magic Pan

An $8,000 pure silver San Lorenzo sauté pan

By Jeff Ruby

Pour

Dennis Ray Wheaton on the small-batch gin and vodka by Death’s Door Spirits

By Dennis Ray Wheaton

Front Burner: Carrie Nahabedian

August 2008: Roast Rack of Pork with Summer Salad and Succotash

Men Behaving Dadly

Can something as complex as a father's skill be measured? Yes, it can.

By Jeff Ruby

Feed Your Head

Here's your chance to act like a presidential candidate. Promise your brain some change—and then follow through with one of these eight classes that can help transform your way of thinking.

By Joanna Topor Mackenzie

The Critic Barks

Dog spa ratings by our canine critic

By Abigail Pickus

Critical Mass

Noteworthy releases in August

By Modesta Zapata

Gridlock Jocks

Can technology ease the traffic crunch? A Chicago business and a local university hope so, but don't expect the time you spend in the car to plummet soon.

By Andrew Schroedter

Straight Up

CM Punk returns to his home turf for a World Wrestling Entertainment smackdown on August 18th.

By Noah Isackson

Busting Up the Boys' Club

Finally, a female rapper is in the house.

By Modesta Zapata

A Vocal Few

Lollapalooza is a "win-win" for everyone—everyone, that is, but the local clubs.

By Mark Guarino

Shopper: Le Dress

Stocked solely with dresses, this new European-style Wicker Park boutique carries everything from summer-barbecue casual to charity-ball glam in a wide selection of sizes.

By Rebecca Little

Sales Check

A roundup of sales, store openings, and shopping news in August 2008

By Rebecca Little

Process of Illumination

We surveyed the scene at the School of the Art Institute and came up with this mix of objects by emerging and established talent.

By Barri Leiner and Rebecca Little

Quote

Weeknight Find: Uncorked

The age-old factory assembly line combines with notions of modern love in Jaclyn Pryor's newest project.

By Heather Blaha

The Blip - August 2008

Bright spots on this month’s cultural radar